Chapter 4- "Gomen nasai, mou hitori no boku…"

"Jounochi?"

Eyes blinking slowly, Jounochi's vision cleared to see Anzu, Honda, and Otogi before him. He was perplexed; where was he?

"What's goin'…?" he began, but was cut off.

"Anzu hung around at Yuugi's place after he kicked her out, waiting for you, dingdong." Otogi said sharply. "After a long time, you didn't come out, so she made up an excuse that she'd left her jacket inside. Yuugi didn't answer the door, so she went in to find you passed out on the floor and Yuugi…"

"YUUGI!" Jounochi snapped up. "Where is he! Is he okay!" he exclaimed. Otogi shoved him back down forcefully.

"Yeah, he was asleep in his room." He replied, voice holding the slightest hint of annoyance. Jounochi breathed a sigh of relief.

"What are you doin' here, Otogi?" he asked. Otogi shrugged.

"Honda called me wanting some help." He answered. "I thought I'd drop by." Jounochi nodded.

"Thanks." He said softly.

"So what's the matter with Yuugi?" he asked. "Honda wasn't good on details." Jounochi shrugged.

"He probably told you everything we know." He replied. "Yuugi's just been different; he ain't wearin' his puzzle and he hasn't touched his deck in months. He snapped off at me earlier today…" Jounochi stopped off at that, wondering.

"What happened at Yuugi's house after I left, Jounochi?" asked Anzu curiously. Jounochi felt his eyes burn at the memory.

"Someone was there… they were tellin' Yuugi that no one could ever know what had happened." Answered Jounochi, thinking back.

"What happened?" asked Honda. Jounochi shook his head.

"I dunno… then he pulled a knife out and he was gonna slice Yuugi, like right down the back… I guess that's when I passed out." Jounochi swallowed hard. "I bet he hurt Yuugi."

"Well, he was in his room." Anzu said matter-of-factly. Jounochi nodded. "He was lying underneath his sheets and a big blanket…" she said thoughtfully.

"But it's burning outside!" Honda exclaimed.

"Yeah…" she agreed. "Why wear a blanket if it's hot as Hades outside?" Jounochi stared at the ground; the situation became clear as the clues lined up.

"He was probably under the blanket to hide the marks from the dagger." Said Otogi.

"Great work, Detective, didja figure that out alone, or did your assistant help you?" Honda said sarcastically.

"Don't make me club you, Honda…"

"Shut up, you two." Anzu interrupted. "We have to focus on the matter at hand." They nodded, solemn.

"We gotta help Yuugi…" said Jounochi almost brokenly. Suddenly, he sat up straight; his eyes suddenly flashed a new determination. "We're gonna help Yuugi." He said louder. Anzu looked slightly taken aback, but she nodded.

"He's right." She agreed. "And we have to do it soon."

"Then let's get over to Yuugi's." said Honda, standing. Jounochi shook his head slightly. "What's the matter, Jou?" he asked.

"It's too easy…" he said softly. "And we haven't even considered the smashed puzzle, the blood, and the photographs. What were they of? Why was the puzzle busted? And whose blood was all over it? We need to know this stuff." Anzu nodded, swallowing hard.

"Jounochi, I think you should go check on Yuugi." She said. "Go to his house and see if he's okay. We'll figure things out from there, okay?" Jounochi nodded, standing.

"Okay."

Jounochi walked shakily toward the door, and upon thrusting it open, a thought struck him.

The photographs. Eyes flashing slightly, he remembered some of the ones that he had sifted out of the way. They weren't of Yuugi, but of the Pharaoh. As a matter of fact… every picture had the Pharaoh on it! This could have something to do with Yuugi not wearing the Millennium Puzzle, and may have contributed to why it lay broken and bloodstained.

With this realization in mind, Jounochi raced out the door, running as fast as his legs could carry him. The pieces of the puzzle were finally coming together, and it felt as though he was going to be too late.

Heels screeching as he reached the Game Shop's door, he tore up the stairs into Yuugi's room. Yuugi was sleeping on his stomach, tucked tightly in place beneath cover after cover, and was sweating profusely from the immense heat. Jounochi loosened the covers that smothered him and gasped.

Deep, red slashes scoured Yuugi's back; they had been dug in forcibly and had left dried blood along the cuts.

'Good God, Yuugi… I'm so sorry…' Jounochi thought, turning on the fan above him. 'I'm so sorry, man.' He turned to head for the darkroom.

"M… M-mou hi… mou hitori no b-boku…" Yuugi muttered, wincing slightly upon saying the name. Jounochi stopped short.

'Mou hitori no boku?' he thought. ''The other me'… that's what he calls the Pharaoh!'

"Yuugi?" he whispered, leaning down beside him. Yuugi smiled slightly.

"Mou hitori no boku…" he breathed. Jounochi was taken aback; Yuugi thought that he was the Pharaoh! "G… g-gomen nasai…"

"Why are you sorry?" Jounochi asked softly. A tear rolled down Yuugi's cheek, mingling with the sweat that drenched him.

"F-for letting him hurt you…" he whispered. Jounochi was confused; had the same person who hurt Yuugi hurt the Pharaoh too? Why? And who was this stranger? But by now Yuugi was speaking again, leaving one last thought for Jounochi before he slipped back into sleep.

"For letting him… kill you…"